Virtual Dream Plaza
Luke Laurila, better known as Telepath (Japanese: t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者, Hepburn: terepashī nōryoku-sha), is an American musician notable for his considerable impact within the vaporwave scene. During the mid-2010s, his ambient sound and dream-like presentation turned him into the main originator of the slushwave subgenre and a key influence on the dreampunk derivative genre. He initially released albums under the alias Scintillation! and later as Virtual Dream Plaza (仮想夢プラザ, Kasō yume puraza) and Tianhuojian (天火見).
Laurila released his debut album as Telepath in 2013, and began producing split albums with vaporwave artists such as Cat System Corp. He became a notable figure of the genre for his prolific output in 2014 and 2015, and for co-founding Dream Catalogue, the first vaporwave-focused record label. His work with David Russo under the alias 2814, including Birth of a New Day (2015) and Rain Temple (2016), is recognized for innovating the vaporwave genre beyond purely sample-based material. He also distanced the movement from its semi-ironic roots with The Path to Lost Eden, his split album with musician Nmesh. Birth of a New Day became one of the best-selling releases on Bandcamp, while The Path to Lost Eden originated internal discussions culminating with the hardvapour subgenre. Laurila's hazy style of music and idiosyncratic sampling methods have impacted musicians both within and outside the vaporwave genre, such as MindSpring Memories and desert sand feels warm at night, while his work in 2814 solidified his status as a "vaporwave superstar".
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